Through the Wood
by TheBlackQueen999
Summary: A girl is walking through a wood when her usual haze becomes more enveloping than ever. By the time her haze fades away she is in a very different wood. Where is she and what does a certain boy have to do with it? OFC/OMC Rated M for safety
1. The Girl and the Guardian

A girl walked through the woods alone. She was not any girl of course. She looked rather odd now that I think about it. She had a great poufy skirt on, one with a petticoat underneath. And she had a parasol, a true lace parasol. She was also wearing gloves, made of lace too. She nearly looked a proper lady, though she was missing a hat, quite curious indeed.

But back to the story, she was walking through the woods, a great park in the middle of a vast city of concrete and other horrid materials. She was meant to meet a friend but Life obviously had a different plan for the girl. She was wandering along road, those silly people call them nature trails but you know as well as I that they're roads, where she was in quite a daze. She was not all there you see. Her mind was wandering along the beams of sunlight and suffering with the polluted waters of the streams. She raced the wind and twirled with leaves. But of course she wandered. And as she never had a very good sense of her direction or bearings, she easily got lost in the twisty, turney paths of the wood.

As her haze deepened she was hardly aware at all of where she was going. Now this probably sounds dangerous. A girl who is outfitted from another century wandering around the park in a large city in a daze is not the best of circumstances. But this one was different. There was someone watching out for her, leading her along the correct path, making sure no one was around to startle her out of her daze.

The path became twistier and turnier until the trees themselves seemed to be trying to stop her. They stuck out their gnarled limbs to keep her in their world. But the person guiding her, let's call them a guardian, the guardian was always there to break the trees' grasp on her skirts. For the guardian had a different plan for her.

The guardian had been looking for this girl for many years. Time raced by in this world and the guardian never quite got used to it. But the guardian bided his time and waiting for her to cross the path. He would know her by several features, the oraculum prescribed. Her wide skirts, her white-lace parasol, her deep purple shirt, and her hair. She was to have dark curly hair that matched her dark eyes. The guardian waited and waited, as he had missed the period in which women regularly wore such garments. Women so attired were hard to come by. Several times he was tempted to forego the colour of her hair and her eyes and her shirt just so he could finally have her. But no, his madness never was caught in the correct way for it to work out properly. Now that he had finally found her, he would never let some trees take her away!

The trees did not want her to leave. They were prejudiced against people from his world. Absolum knows why! The guardian certainly didn't. But he had to have her. He had spent too long looking for her to let her go now. So he tricked and guided, really the same thing you know, her feet down a specific path so they would reach a specific destination. See how long he has spent amongst them! Only speaking of her feet! What of the rest of her? Well those too he would reply, but it was quicker to just say her feet. It might be but it also gives the audience very odd ideas. They might believe him mad! Which of course he is.

Whatever his mental state was in he was trick-er-guiding, that's it, her down the prescribed path. And after a while, once the wind had finally outrun her and the sunshine beams were lifted away she came out of her daze. Now this was not something the guardian was expecting. He thought she would stay in the daze until at least be at Marmoreal where she would be far safer than their current position. But as Fate would have it, the girl dropped out of her haze in the middle of the forest. A most unfriendly and dangerous place that the moment. It was full of rebels. The guardian reasoned that as long as she was in her haze neither would be noticed. He had enough magyk to do that small job. He had not of yet completed his studies. Even though his studies were unfinished he decided that everything could wait while he went searching for her. His parents and the Queen were helpless to stop him. They knew he would have to go eventually.

When the girl came out of her haze she was quite surprised to find oddly shaped _things, _as she so eloquently put them, all around her. All of them looked dangerous and evil-tempered. Yet none of them paid her any notice at all. She found all of this rather strange as she was used to being seen by all with eyes. Before she could remark upon the oddness of the situation the guardian made obvious motions for her to keep silent and follow him. As he looked rather desperate she thought it best not to distress him further and go along with his plan.

As she followed she noticed that the wood she was in differed greatly from the one she was in before the haze. This wood was dark and full of shadows. Evil lurked in beneath the diseased trees. The creatures were misshapen and all had a sharp look of cruelty in their eye. She tried her best to ignore them as their appearances disturbed her greatly. But one thing stayed with her no matter how she tried to ignore it: their eyes with their hard looks.

When the guardian and the girl were out of the wood the guardian nearly passed out of exhaustion. Using so much of his magyk, untrained as his was, drained the energy out of him. So much so that once they were a safe distance from the woods she was practically dragging him. It would have been impolite to leave a person to lie by the side of the road when they just navigated you safely through such a place. And she was brought up to be polite. Because of the impracticality of a teenaged girl carrying a young man it was very lucky that Chess came along when he did. Not that the girl knew he was Chess at the time.

"I say my dear, what are you trying to do?" Chess asked.

"I am trying to get as far away from that forest as possible."

"A good idea indeed. That wood is full of horrid creatures. May I enquire as to your destination?"

"I've no idea!" she puffed. Carrying a young man was no easy feat. "I'm just continuing in the direction we were going in before."

"And what is your name?"

"I am..." The girl paused for a long while first. She didn't know how smart it was to tell a strange voice/person that she couldn't even see her name. (She couldn't see Chess 'cause she was weighed down by the guardian) "On second thought, I should like to see you before I tell you my name. I should like to see you and know your name first."

"And why should I do that?"

"Because you want to know my name. And I refuse to tell you until I've seen you and learnt your name."

"I am the Cheshire Cat." Chess floated down to the girl's eyeline. "How do you do?"

The girl blanched and tripped over the guardian's feet. The sight of a floating cat with a grin from ear to ear is enough to send most people straight to the psychiatrists, or psychotherapists. I can never remember which.

Chess was never one to let a lady ruin her clothes so he caught the poor girl before she hit the ground. The guardian on the other hand was not so lucky. Once the girl was righted she noticed that the cat had a peculiar look in his eyes too. Once she got over the evaporating and floaty bit she noticed that the Cat looked a rather lot like the ones she owned. Their large round eyes were exactly the same. How curious.

The girl gladly let Chess carry the guardian instead of her. It was a relief to her. The one thing that continued to bother her was the fact that she didn't know where she was, who all these creatures were, and who the guardian was, not that she called him that but you get the point. For Chess was being horribly evasive about all of it. He kept mentioning a White Queen and an Alice. But he never said any Alice, as if there was more than one of them, but always _the _Alice. This was quite odd as many people were named Alice. The girl even knew a few herself. They were not out of the ordinary. Normal girls in a normal world. Painfully boring and drab girls in a painfully boring and drab world.

The girl had never liked her world. It was falling apart at the seams! And if history is to be trusted it always has been. The constant ruin and pending danger from all sides was a bit much for her. I mean she could have borne it if the people in it weren't so horrible. What did they ever do to deserve getting bailed out by Luck all the time? They all proceed to forget their dependence and squander their Luck until they need to be bailed out again. If the people were bright and vibrant then she would not have a problem with it. But such boring and grey people simply could not win her sympathy. The Human Condition was truly insupportable!

Of course she realized that her opinion on humanity's worthiness was affected by the way they treated her. Some were nice in their own not very nice way, believing themselves to be her friend. Others were marginally nice, figuring it didn't hurt to smile at the mad girl in petticoats once a month. And then there were those who were outright cruel about it. They would tease her; make it so everyone was too scared to be her friend. So she would be alone. As she had no siblings she was well and truly alone. Her parents were always away and the nannies would always call her a devil-child when they thought she couldn't hear. Or changeling. That was another name they used for her. So yes, she realized that her view of them was skewed by her personal experiences with them. But if one doesn't have her instincts, feelings, and memories what does one have?

However she felt about humanity and being left alone in a strange world she did manage to notice a few things while grappling with her personal Bandersnatches. She noticed that Chess' body was not always all there. But this didn't bother her. She often felt not all there herself. But her not all being there never reflected in her body. She thought it was quite nice that it was reflected in Chess'. It made conversation so much easier.

As Chess was Underlish he was easily distracted. He very soon forgot that the girl did not know who she was in Underland. The girl made very excellent conversation. She used to spend all her time pondering questions that if ever spoken would win her a one way ticket to the mad house. But when she tentatively broached the subject with Chess he did not consider them to be out of place. Contrarywise he considered them to be brilliant observations and remarks on life in general. Very soon they were caught up in conversation and Chess all but forgotten the unconscious boy he was carrying.

Thanks to Chess's knowledge of secret paths he got them both to Marmoreal in half a day. The girl was oddly comforted by the palace. The stunning marble gave her a sense of rest that she could not recall feeling before. Which was the oddest part, the air of Underland and all the creatures in it all felt familiar to her. Arriving at the castle was rather like coming to a favoured spot after a long period of absence. Even the feeling of peace afforded by the palace felt familiar. Something was up in this place. She just knew it.

When the trio entered the gleaming palace, they were greeted with the Queen's concern for the unconscious boy. Not that the girl knew who the Queen was. All she saw was an off looking woman in a white dress with white hair and black lips and black fingernails. After she saw how the other, they all looked human but just to be safe, people present obeyed her orders to fetch supplies from inside the castle and summon people from various quarters, the girl could surmise that this was the White Queen Chess had gone on about. She certainly looked white enough for the title.

One of the names that piqued her interest was the Hatter and the Alice that were to be summoned. There was also a May Hair or something and a Mallet. But the Hatter and the Alice were the most interesting to her. For she had never found a proper hat, despite very through searches, and Chess had not been able to restrain himself when it came to the topic of the Great Champion Alice. As Chess had always referred to the Alice, the girl assumed that this was the Alice he was talking about.

When the above mentioned persons entered the throne room, the girl assumed due to the presence of a white throne on a dais, they did not disappoint. The Hatter, she assumed because of the large hat on his head, was dressed rather eccentrically. He had on a suit. It looked quite nice, a dark coloured one. He had a colourful scarf tied around his neck, lots of blotches of colour that might or might not have gotten there by accident. His hands looked whole and unblemished. They were rather pretty after a fashion, large and white. On his head there was a tall top hat with a shining pink ribbon tied around it. The hat was just in the style that the girl had always been looking for. But there was something even more interesting than the hat about the Hatter. His eyes were startling. They were green with magenta and blue on the skin around them. His hair was bright orange and seemed to cooperate as it hung smoothly from his head without frizz or rebellion. His eyes seemed to be more open than a regular person usually opened their eyes. Which was all well and fine with the girl as she was always made fun of or shied away from because she would open her eyes to an unnatural magnitude.

Alice was quite striking. Her blonde hair was cropped short. But it was riotously curly all the same. They weren't the large barrel curls one achieved with a curling iron but tight curls that were all the more authentic. She was wearing a great robe made of blue silk. It was billowy and looked rather Chinese. Underneath the robe she wore trousers. For they were not simple pants, that word would not do at all. They were legitimate trousers. Her top was a plain blue. But her clothes were not the striking part of her. The striking component was her features and how she moved. Her eyes were dark and intense, set on a perfectly proportioned face with a mouth drawn in worry. Her movements had purpose and meaning to them. They demanded authority and attention. She was obviously used to being obeyed.

These people quite ignored the girl. All their attention was focused on the unconscious guardian. They were all terrible bothered about it and would pay attention to nary a breeze until the Queen was finished in her ministrations. The change in the boy was obvious, his breathing was even and the lines of his body were less taut. The girl let out a breath she did not know she had been holding. The guardian was taken away by some chess pieces to rest in another room.

Once the boy was gone all the attention was turned to her. Everyone was either whispering about her or staring at her with curiosity or even both. Some remarked that she was too high a price to pay for the damage done to the boy, whom they called Jecab. These remarks were met with scowls from the Hatter. The Queen finally stepped in and sent away all but the Hatter, the Alice, and the girl. Once they were all gone she apologized for the scene.

"We were all just upset by Jecab's state. He is quite dear to all of us. Would you like to sit down?" the Queen offered kindly.

The girl was very glad for the seat as she had not rested since morning in her own world. The Hatter, the Alice, and the Queen all took seats round hers.

The Queen once again stepped in as the Hatter and the Alice seemed to only be capable of staring at her. "What is your name my dear?"

The girl took a deep breath before opening her mouth to respond.

But before she could get the sound out the Alice interrupted, "Filezity."


	2. Filezity?

The girl looked at the Alice. "How could you know my name?"

The Hatter spoke up. "Because we gave it to you."

"Curious, before everyone called me Isabel."

The Hatter said insistently, "Your name is Filezity. None other. You are not at all an Isabel. That is not even a name. Not here."

"If I may be so bold, where is here?"

"This is Underland. Or more commonly known in your, my old world, Wonderland," the Alice said.

"You're that Alice. You look a lot smarter than you appeared in the books."

"Thank you, I think."

"And why did you name me?" the girl thought she knew the answer but she wanted to hear the words come from their mouths.

"Well," the Alice said as she took the Hatter's hand, "We are your parents. Your true parents."

They were both looking at her so expectantly, with such happiness in their eyes. It made the girl feel a little nauseous.

As Luck would have it, the Queen noticed the girl's nausea. "I think she needs some alone time to process all of this. Maybe we should show her to her rooms."

The Alice and the Hatter agreed and quickly got up from their seats. The Queen called out for a chess piece and informed the girl that the chess piece would show her to her rooms.

Once the girl was lying on a bed she cried out. The tears she had been holding back by encouraging her nausea broke free. They streamed down her face as thoughts to painful to be defined by words forced their way out of her mouth. She had never felt like an Isabel. The name was painfully boring and drab, just like that world. But some part of her wanted to hold on to her old world. She tried this. But it only lasted for a few seconds.

She was a piece of broken glass in a child's jigsaw puzzle. That was her relationship with her old world. No matter how hard she tried she could never make herself fit. Everyone else was clean cut with predictable dips and rises. Hers were jagged and sharp in comparison. She tried hard as a child to make herself fit. She tried to sand down the jagged edges. But the edges never sanded down properly. They always broke off and created new jagged edges. As she got older she gave up. The pain of the newly formed jagged edges made her desist in her attempts to fit in their simple puzzle. As she grew into her jagged edges there was a release of sorts. She no longer tried to equate herself with them. She knew she was different. She was made of different stuff. She still felt like a freak sometimes but on the whole there were less freak-feelings.

It was the remaining freak-feelings that made her try to hold on to her old world. But the pain of her jagged edges overwhelmed her. She began to shake. Pain exploded through her mind as her emotions were in full swing. Once the pain had faded, which seemed like eons to her, she was curled up in a ball. Her clothes were drenched in sweat. She was freezing. But the pain was mostly gone. She got up slowly and moved to the full length mirror. Her skin, which had always been significantly green and gold tinged – a point of ridicule, now had an extremely pronounced tinge. Her skin fairly shimmered in the light, green through gold and back to green again. She resembled a golden coin half grown over with algae and held up to the sunlight. The thing that had changed the most was her eyes. They rather resembled the Hatter's eyes. Where his colours were pink, blue, green, and yellow hers were gold, green, brown, and blue respectively. But her overall shape had not changed.

She observed her clothes and decided a change was necessary. Hers looked very worn and faded. In the wardrobe next to the mirror she found several petticoats, long skirts, dresses, tops, jackets, and shawls in all colours imaginable. This made her very happy. She picked out a green petticoat, a black skirt, a gold top, a blue jacket, and a purple shawl. As she didn't find any new shoes she just put on her old black heels. Another article of clothing she didn't find was stockings, so she was forced to keep her dirty, white knee highs on.

Once she was dressed in fresh, bright clothes she felt like taking a walk. From what she could see from her balcony the gardens were extensive and they were most importantly, quiet. The hustle and bustle of other people and cars always served to give her a near permanent headache. She breathed in the good, peaceful air as she took her first few steps through the garden. After a few minutes' wandering she discovered a comfortable bench which was shaded by a tree. She lay herself down on the bench and shut her eyes, feeling the air skim over her skin. It was like a gentle caress. She decided to give being Filezity a chance. It couldn't go worse than her trying to be Isabel.

After she made her decision she focused on enjoying the breeze. It still felt like a caress. But after a few minutes she thought that it felt a little too much like a real caress. She sat up quickly and looked around her to try and find the person who was manipulating the wind. She couldn't see them, but she could smell them! There was a distinct scent of tea and cakes on the breeze that was behaving oddly. She moved towards the smell and found the source lying behind a rose bush.

It was the boy, Jecab! He had a sheepish look on his face. He made a brave attempt at ignoring the fact that he had just been caught. "You look very pretty."

Isabel had never had someone compliment her and neither had Filezity. She blushed a deep gold.

"Your blush is a nice colour. I've never seen a gold one before."

She blushed more at the idea that her blush was gold. "What were you doing anyways?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about. I was sitting here minding my own business."

"You are a bad liar. Your face goes all blue."

Jecab went even bluer.

"Your blush is blue! How curious. I quite like it. Can I touch it?"

"I..I..I suppose so," Jecab stammered.

Filezity leaned in close to feel the oddly blue skin. It was warm, warm and soft. She found she enjoyed the feel of his cheek. Once she realized she was probably being really creepy she stopped and straightened up again. "Why were you manipulating the breeze?"

When Jecab saw she would not leave the subject alone until she got the truth he explained. "You looked troubled and I thought a kind touch would make you feel better. And I was right! You smiled and relaxed. But you mustn't tell anyone! I'm not supposed to be doing magyk."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm supposed to be resting. Getting you here took a lot out of my magyk. I'm not supposed to use that much magyk."

"Then why did you?"

"Because I had to."

"Why?"

"Just leaving you there would be cruel. You belong here. With us."

Filezity found she agreed with him. "Thanks for bringing me back."

"Thanks for getting us away from the forest after I passed out."

"Anytime." Isabel had heard many people use this response before but always hated how they never truly meant it. Filezity found she really did mean it.

Jecab looked at her with cheery blue eyes. The blue of his eyes was beautiful. It was sparkly and vibrant. She had never seen such lovely eyes. She leant in, mesmerized by the blue eyes. Jecab leant in slowly, as if asking her permission. She blushed a faint gold and nodded slowly. She had never kissed anyone before, as Isabel or Filezity. There had never been anyone she wanted to kiss. But this Jecab was different. He captivated her imagination, with his blue eyes and his blue blushes and blue eyes. When his lips touched hers fireworks exploded. Not outside, in hear head of course. And judging from his reaction, there was at very least sparks on his side. She would her hands through his soft golden curls, savouring their texture.

Very soon she was sitting on the ground next to him and he was sitting up. Their kiss grew more passionate as his tongue tentatively requested entrance to her mouth. She shyly let him in. The feeling of his newly impassioned kiss felt exhilarating. She felt like all the worries she had been carrying were lifted from her tired shoulders. She felt rejuvenated, alive, awakened.

Unfortunately their kiss was cut short by someone calling out for Jecab. They broke apart unwillingly. The skin surrounding his eyes was now flushed blue. He gave her a glowing smile before kissing her hand and promising they would meet soon. She was left lying on the grass, processing what just happened.

She was lying there when Alice found her. Alice recognized the look on Filezity's face very well. It was upon her own when she first fell in love with the Hatter. Alice gave a small, sad smile before making her presence known. "Oh hello," Filezity responded, startled.

"I was wondering how you like Underland."

"It's quite a beautiful place," she said, thinking of Jecab.

"Would you consider staying here? To live I mean."

Filezity opened her eyes wide with wonder. "Could I?"

"We all want you to stay rather badly. There is so much to see and so many people t-"

Alice's words were cut off as Filezity tackle-hugged her. "Thank you so much!" Her eyes shone with happiness. "I believe I will like it here."

"I believe you will like it here too," Alice smiled contentedly as she stroked her daughter's hair. Then her expression grew sad. "I'm sorry you got stranded there in the first place."

"It's alright. It was horrible there. But I'm here now and that's what matters."

Alice didn't respond but resumed stroking her daughter's hair instead.

"It was horrible there," Filezity said in a small voice. "I didn't fit anywhere. Everyone hated me. I had no friends."

"I understand. Remember I lived there once too. I never fit in either. I was half-mad. But I never said anything lest I-"

"-be thrown in the mad house," Filezity finished. She let out a mad laugh. "I have a sudden need for tea, tea and cakes!"

Alice smiled and helped her daughter off the ground. "We shall go see your father. He makes the best tea in all of Underland!"

Mother and daughter walked arm in arm towards a different part of the gardens. There was a large table set for tea. All manner of chairs were set around it, cushy arm chairs, hard wooden chairs, plastic lawn chairs, rickety and rusted chairs. But the people sitting in the chairs were by far the most interesting there.

The Hatter was there of course. There was also a twitchy hare and a sleepy dormouse. Jecab was nowhere to be seen. But the Queen was there. Filezity noticed that the Queen left a seat in between herself and the Hatter, who was sitting at the head of the table. Filezity wondered who could possibly outrank the Queen until Alice herself took the seat. The Hatter and Alice greeted each other with great warmth. Filezity envied their obviously close relationship until the Hatter greeted her, clearly including her in his affections. "My dear Filezity! I cant tell you how happy I am you are finally back with us!" The Hatter hugged her with great enthusiasm and offered her the seat on his other side.

"When did I leave? And how old was I?"

The Hatter's face looked very sad at the mention of her departure from Underland. "You were a teen. About the same age you are now. It happened quite a long time ago, but no one could give you the amount in years or days as Time got rather upset when you left. She decided to stop time in all of Underland until you returned. You were quite close friends. "

"Will I meet her again?"

"I daresay you shall! Now that you're back she should return and restore things around here."

"So I became a child again, when I left?"

"I would think so. Would you like a cup of tea, luv?"

"Of course! That is why we came in the first place."

"Well then I shall do my best to oblige your wishes," he said with a formal, half bow. Bowing from one's seat is rather hard to pull off.

As the Hatter got to work on her tea, intent that it should be the best cup of tea there ever was, Filezity inquired after Jecab's whereabouts. The Hatter stilled and let the tea he was pouring run over the rim of the tea cup. He did not even notice when the boiling hot tea spilled on his hand and spread across the table cloth. Most everyone at the table seemed to stop what they were doing. The Queen paused with a sandwich half way to her mouth. Alice finally reacted by taking the pot of tea away from the Hatter. "Why he's in his chambers sleeping."

"Because he came to get me?"

"He cares a great deal for you."

"I know," she responded with a faint gold blush. "But why does he care so?" She guessed that there was probably another reason for his feelings for her.

"We might as well tell her," the Hatter said. She took a deep breath and was about to say something before the Queen interrupted him.

"Before you left, he was your betrothed. You were to marry and you left the day of."

A betrothed? She had a betrothed? And it was Jecab! No wonder he liked her. And that explains the scene in the garden. He probably thinks that I remember being here before! But how could he. She had not acted as if she knew him. In fact her behaviour was of someone who wanted to know more about him. Sure as his finacée she would have known all about him. "Who made the betrothal?"

"Nothing was done without your consent. Both of you were happy at the prospect of being wed," the Queen said a little too quickly.

"Who arranged the betrothal?"

"We did," Alice said in a clear voice. Alice was never one to shy away from facts. "But you should know that it was for your safety. Someone who is betrothed has protection that an unattached person cannot hope to receive."

"Why did I need such protection?"

The Hatter spoke up. "You are my daughter." There was a mad, protective light in his eyes. "I was not about to stand by while my only daughter got hurt. Something needed to be done. Whether you think it was a good or bad decision I am simply glad you're here to make that decision."

"Who was threatening me? What was threatening me?"

"The son of a very dangerous person. And consequently as their son, he is much more dangerous than his father."

"The father is...?"

"The Knave of Spades, the worst Knave of all."

"The Knave of Spades blames Tarrant and I for his misfortune," Alice broke in. "Which in a way is true. But in another way is totally wrong. It is not our fault that he sided with the Queen of Hearts."

"Yane," Filezity said softly.

Alice nodded sadly. "That's his name. Does this mean you remember?"

"Bits and pieces. A half remembered dream. Not all of it. Will I remember all of it?"

The Queen answered this question. "There is no precedent for this. We rarely have children here in Underland, and none have been kidnapped before. We think that the trauma of leaving against your will blocked out your memories. But it is only a theory."

"Yane kidnapped me." It was less of a question and more of a statement.

"Once again, it is only a theory. We may never know who exactly kidnapped you. But it is highly likely that it was Yane or one of his accomplices."

Filezity was reliving flashes of her past. Being cut off from all light. Being terrified out of her mind. Feeling like her very being was torn in half. A horrid ripping feeling. And oblivion. These were the emotions and maybe memories that she associated with the name Yane.

Filezity was in this extremely emotional state when a white rabbit bounced in. He was out of breath but forced himself to speak. "Je....J...Jec.."

"Jecab?" she said, irrational fear petrifying her body.

The rabbit nodded.

"Where?" she demanded sharply, standing up.

"...other side.....gardens," the rabbit forced out.

With that she speeded off faster than any regular human was capable of.


	3. War Council

Filezity was a blur of colour as she sped through the garden looking for Jecab. She wasn't entire sure why she was having such a violent reaction to the idea that he was in distress but she was hardly thinking about why she was so frantic; she was too busy being frantic.

When she finally found Jecab he was lying unconscious on the ground in a pool of his own blood. she immediately knelt by him and began to bandage his wounds with pieces of her petticoat. Isabel would have never done such a thing. His wounds were deep and bleeding profusely. The blood would have surely soaked right through the frilly material. In Isabel's world. But as they were in Underland, the material slowed the bleeding but it still soaked the material quickly. So Filezity did the thing that came naturally:

Take off the makeshift bandage and put her bare hands on the open wound.

Before her very eyes the bleeding stopped entirely and the skin began to knit back together. Once the wound was completely closed she removed her hands and pressed them to her mouth. She felt like she was going to pass out or throw up. The anxiety she felt began to take its toll. The purple/blue in the skin around her eyes intensified. As she hyperventilated tears burned their way out of her eyes. Very soon she was forced to the ground in pain.

She felt warm, strong arms encircle her. As the arms held her, she felt her hyperventilation relax and the pain subside to a dull throb. The irrational fear that took hold of her finally lessened its grip on her mind until it was gone entirely. As her sobs quieted she focused on what she could see. The jacket of the Hatter covered the arms that encircled her. He was rocking her back and forth like she was a little child. The motion was extremely comforting. Filezity realized in that moment that no one had held Isabel like that before. The tears came back in full force but the sobs stayed gone.

"What's the matter, luv?" the Hatter asked gently.

"No one's....ever....hugged.....me....before," she managed to get out between tears.

"My poor darling. How much you've suffered. I'll always hug you like this if you want." The Hatter continued to rock her gently and whisper comforting phrases in her ear until her tears tired and her breath breathed regularly.

Once she was in her normal state she noticed that Jecab was gone. When the Hatter saw her notice he explained that he had been taken to rest inside the castle before her anxiety had a chance to build. He helped her off the ground and led her back to the now deserted tea table. He made her his best cup of tea and a plate of the best goodies on the table. Being his daughter, her system was capable of running on tea time delicacies alone.

As she savoured the fine fare her father prepared for her she felt warmth spread through her body. She felt something beyond contented but more moderate than the dizzying feeling of kissing Jecab. She felt cared for and valued; a feeling that had avoided Isabel entirely.

Filezity went to visit Jecab in his chambers. They weren't that far from hers, just a couple doors down. He was lying there with his blonde hair strew about the pillow haphazardly and his blue eyelids closed. She approached his bedside and smoothed his hair. She looked at him and felt that heady feeling from their kiss. Then the fact that they were bound for life without their say sobered her. Not for long though, her excitement over the impassioned kiss they shared returned and swept away any trace of sense.

It was that stupid happy smile which had residence in her expression when Jecab regained consciousness. He smiled sunnily back at her carefree face. "I wish I could wake up to this all the time."

Once she finished blushing she asked him quite seriously, "What do you have to say about our betrothal?"

Jecab's face grew serious before he answered. "Your safety has always been paramount to me. No matter what it cost me, even the chance at having a flower-tale life, I would gladly give it up to see you safe."

"But, why would you be willing to give up so much without the guarantee that I wouldn't hate you?"

"Call it an instinct," he smiled at her worried face. He kissed softly before saying, "why worry about what ifs and could have beens when we have something so fantastic right here right now?"

Of course any kind of logical response was totally wiped from her mind as he began kissing her again. Later she reasoned that she should enjoy whatever happiness Fate handed to her while she could, for she had never had much of it before and now it was filling her life so fast it made her head spin! So what if it went away? She would always have the golden memory of it. She laughed at tragedy and heart break with the confidence only a first love gives.

The next day she was sitting at the tea table with her father and the Queen when a messenger arrived for the Queen. Or Filezity supposed it was a messenger. It didn't look much like one. When she mentioned this to her father he hushed her with the admonition that it was impolite to speak of people behind-their-backs-in-front-of-them.

The news that the messenger brought made the White Queen blanch, which was a considerable feat for a monarch known for her paleness. She excused herself from the tea table, saying she would need a little time to herself before summoning the war council.

Filezity turned to her father. "Who's in the war council and when was the last time it met?"

"The Queen, myself, your mother, the white rabbit, Chess, and some officers from the army. It met last when you were kidnapped. It's not really a war council. It does meet for war purposes, but it's mainly an emergency council."

"Does this meeting have to do with Yane?"

"Honestly luv I don't know. I didn't overhear what the messenger said to Mirana."

"I'm going to find Jecab. Will you tell me what happened after the council?"

The Hatter laughed at his daughter's expression. "I swear on my honour as a Hatter, a very serious matter, that I will tell you why the council was called unless Mirana expressly forbids it. But the council might meet for hours. It's happened before. Some of those chess pieces are just too doom and gloom."

Filezity smiled. "I'll hold you to your promise, dad." She turned to begin her search when the Hatter caught her in a hug.

"It has been far too long since I heard you call me that."

She turned in her father's embrace and hugged him tightly back. "It's been far too long since I've said that too you!"

He laughed again. "Off with you. I've a hideously boring council to attend and you've a boy to find."

A god hour later Filezity was totally lost in the castle. Who knew an entirely white building could have so many corridors and staircases that looked exactly the same? She felt maps and directories should be put up. Once she was good and lost, and complaining about it very loudly, someone opened a door she had just past. She turned around and prepared to apologize profusely for disturbing them. but when she turned she discovered Jecab. "You!"

"Me."

"I have been looking for you forever!"

"Well it's about time for some equality in our relationship! I _have _looked for you forever," he claimed with a mischievous smile.

"Can't I get lost on a different day?"

Jecab looked at her with concern before inviting her into the room. It was an observatory. But as it was light outside it wasn't serving any observating purposes at the moment, it became Jecab's workspace. The tables were covered in diagrams and maps and lists. The floor was mostly covered in tables and calculations. The walls were covered in shelves which were laden with all manner of curious specimens. Some were suspended in jelly, others were a fine powder. The spectacle of the room distracted Filezity slightly from what was bothering her. "Is this your workshop?"

"After a fashion. It's technically the observatory," he said indicating a large telescopic-resembling contraption that was only half inside the room. "But as I am the only one who usually uses it I've turned it into my workspace."

"What do you do here?"

"Solvenations, astrelonomy, vitonomy, moleculistry, calculatics, practical calculatics, and the like." When he saw her puzzled expression he asked, "Don't they have stuff like this in the other world?"

She laughed. "Not quite. But they have very similar subjects. What are you going to do with all of this learning?"

"Well I plan to use it to further the field of logence. I would use my findings to build spectacular things. But it also goes over quite well with the girls," he teased.

"Have you tried it out of many girls?" she asked with a sharp voice.

"Honestly, this is the first time. Is it working?"

She relaxed when she saw he was only teasing her. "We'll see Mr. Logentist. What makes your logence so special?"

Her question really got him started on explaining all the intricacies of his studies, all the abnormalities that he planned to investigate, the way certain laws will always work in certain circumstances. "But that's not why you were looking for me. Why were you wandering round the palace?"

"To find you. The Queen, Mirana (the Queen repeatedly asked her to address her by her proper name), called a war council. My parents are both in it. But Dad didn't know what it was about. He said that the last time the council was called-"

"-was when you disappeared. I remember. I crashed it." When she looked at him with bewilderment he elaborated. "When I figured out why they were meeting I forced my way in and demanded to be sent to the other world to search for you and bring you home. It took a long time to convince them but in the end they recognized that as your betrothed I had the right to go search for you. Your father nearly pulled rank on me so he could go himself. But in the end even he ceded the right to me."

"That must have taken a lot of guts. Were we....like this before?"

Jecab blushed a deep blue. "Umm...there were some definite indications. But nothing had happened. I guess we were both waiting until after the wedding when we would have enough time alone. I mean, because the conditions of our engagement/betrothal were so odd we had never really had the chance to sit down and let possible feelings manifest. Plus everyone else seemed determined to keep us as busy and as far away from each other as possible."

"Would you go after me again?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation. "I would do it again and again. Even though it was horrible, I honestly don't know how you survived there," he said. He took her hands in his and drew her close. "Even though it was the worst thing I've ever been through, this is worth it many times over."

She smiled as they kissed. "That is possibly the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Well I'll just have to outdo myself next time then."

"Very funny."

"I know! I should be a comedian instead of a Logentist."

"Maybe not.."

He gaped in mock hurt, "You don't believe I can do it?"

"That's not what I said silly. I just think you're much cuter going on about your logence than you are making jokes. Though you are very cute doing both."

"Nice save."

"Thanks."

They continued to talk and get to know each other until it was very late and the observatory was filled with candle-light.

"Wait, here," Jecab said before readjusting the observing apparatus. "Try again."He was showing Filezity his favourite stars and constellations. "Do you see it yet?"

"No, no, no, yes! It's beautiful! The stars are so sparkly! They're more beautiful than any diamond." She had previously explained what a diamond was. It was remarkable how even though Jecab spent so long in the other world he knew practically nothing about it.

"Well then I shall simply have to string them on a necklace for you."

Filezity had become somewhat accustomed to being complimented, but a faint shade of gold touched her cheeks.

"You look beautiful when you blush."

Which only caused her to blush harder.

"I mean it. You're the most precious thing in Underland and when you blush it's even more apparent."

"You're such a sweet-talker."

"Is it working?"

"And why should I tell you that?"

"You already did," he said referring to her sustained blush.

She laughed before a breeze came in through the open window, blowing out all the candles in the room. "Well now it's dark."

"Do you know what couples do in the dark?" He laughed softly. "You know I can see your blush?"

"Well if you hadn't gotten the wind to come in here and blow out all the candles I wouldn't be in a situation where I would blush."

"I didn't get the wind to come in here. He did that all on his own."

She scoffed.

"He must like seeing your blush too. Better close that window."

She laughed at his protectiveness. "Come over here you silly Underlishman," she said when he finished fixing the window in place.

They began kissing in the dark with their arms wrapped tight round each other. They were in this rather compromising position when the Hatter walked in with a lamp. "What are you doing to my daughter!" he bellowed in a frumious, heavy Scot's brogue; his skin turning blue.

"Dad!" Filezity shouted over his incomprehensible ramblings, disengaging herself from Jecab's embrace. "Chill out! Nothing horrible happened. He's my betrothed."

The Hatter stopped shouting but his brogue and blue skin remained. "No more being in a dark room alone for you two," he glowered at Jecab.

Once they were all in the main room of her parents' rooms and only a trace of the blue and the brogue remained in the Hatter, did Filezity find out what happened in the council.

As Alice didn't fully trust the Hatter to keep his temper she did all the explaining. "Mirana explained that a messenger came-"

"Yes we know about the messenger!" Filezity interrupted. "What did he have to say and what did the council decide about it?"

"Patience Filezity!" her mother scolded. "Though neither of us was ever very good at patience," she ceded.

Filezity smiled before gesturing for her mother to continue.

"The messenger said that there have been rumours of people paid by Yane for information on your whereabouts."

"Rumours? She called a council on rumours?"

"Not just rumours. There were also reports of a suspicious character travelling towards the palace at this very moment."

"So he's sending someone to kill me," Filezity said in a small voice.

"That is just the worst case scenario. There's a chance that it's just an introverted person who favours dark cloaks who happens to be travelling in the direction of the castle."

"But you can't risk having me taken again."

"We don't know if we could survive it again," Alice said with a very real fear in her eyes.

"So what did the council decide?"

The Hatter roused himself at this point. "You are not to be alone at any time. There will always be an inconspicuous guard protecting you, covering all entrances into whatever room you are in. Some of the maidservants are being trained in defence. Everyone in the personal guard has been interviewed and cleared by your mother and I. They will all be introduced to you so you can familiarize yourself with each of them. You will be informed of a few passwords that you will use to raise the alarm depending on the level and nature of the threat. These pass codes will only be known to a few people, your mother, me, the Queen, the head of security, the head of military, the White Rabbit, and Jecab."

Filezity was overwhelmed by the seriousness of the threat. She bore it well enough until she was alone in her bed room. There she broke down and began to shake with fear. The skin around her eyes became a dark blue/purple. She didn't have any clear memories of her kidnapping and she was grateful for this. But the idea of being taken again and meeting Yane terrified her in a way that nothing else could.

As she lay there, paralyzed with emotions and memories, someone came into her room to check on her. Through the blue/purple haze she saw the face of her father, eyes surrounded with a light orange of concern. "Oh my luv," he whispered before taking her in his arms again. He rocked her until her paralysis subsided. He refused to leave the room until he was certain she was asleep. Filezity was very glad that her father refused to leave her alone with her mind. It gave her enough comfort and security that she was finally able to fall asleep.

Once his daughter was asleep, the Hatter whispered one last phrase of love and kindness before leaving the room. When he returned to his own room, he held his Alice tightly for the rest of the night, finding his own comfort in the familiar and welcome weight of his wife in his arms.


End file.
